Enock Othin's Blog (25)

Information commissioner says MPs' recommendation for more time to investigate destruction of FOI data will need change in law.

Christopher Graham, the information commissioner, has said that implementation of the justice committee's recommendation for his office to have more time to prosecute people who destroy data requested under freedom of information (FOI) is "still some way off".

Although it is an offence to destroy information so as to avoid responding to an…

Information commissioner says MPs' recommendation for more time to investigate destruction of FOI data will need change in law.

Christopher Graham, the information commissioner, has said that implementation of the justice committee's recommendation for his office to have more time to prosecute people who destroy data requested under freedom of information (FOI) is "still some way off".

Although it is an offence to destroy information so as to avoid responding to an…

The last few weeks have seen a number of developments in police ICT including an ongoing debate over the role and reputation of G4S in police outsourcing, and the implications for forces of the decisions of police and crime commissioners.In terms of curbing crimes I think it's the way to go to quip the forces with ICT knowledge so they maybe able to reduce the high rate of crime and wish the Africa heads of states too can buy the idea. what's your idea.

Another year, another attack on the Internet. Lately, though, it’s not a loose collective of individual hackers sitting in dark rooms trying to wreak havoc. This time, stronger forces and vested interests are stepping into the game.

In the U.S., bills that threaten how content is shared online surfaced in Congress. Large media companies are leveraging their power to team up with some elected officials. These forces are being met with resistance courtesy of some of the most esteemed…

The Ethiopian government, Al Jazeera reports, has criminalized the use of Skype and other VoIP services like Google Talk. Using VoIP services is now punishable by up to 15 years in prison. This law actually passed last month, but mostly went unnoticed outside of the country. Ethiopian authorities …

Unfortunately, it is a complex situation. It is a mix of what is the current situation, where we should go, and what the benefits are, from different stakeholders’ perspectives: mobile operators, NGOs, entrepreneurs, donors, regulators, etc. First of all, there are roles and functions that only mobile operators are performing. It is important to identify these roles.

RTI is a step in the right direction, but it is also a step in the wrong direction.

You couldn't find more ambiguity in a single line, but it comes from a report that is unequivocal in its concern that Real Time Information, HM Revenue & Customs' programme for employers to provide it with up-to-date information for PAYE, could be in for some serious problems.

The All-Party Parliamentary Taxation Group (APPTG) has flagged up its concerns within its new PAYE at the crossroads…

Christopher Graham, the information commissioner, heralds the coalition's open data white paper as "a step change" in commitment to transparency in government and public services.

Among the aims outlined in the paper are easier access to public data, more standardised formatting and embedding a 'presumption to publish' most data. In Graham's view, the document represents an extension of the progress made over a number of years with freedom of information.

National Audit Office finds UK Border Agency's £385m immigration IT system is late and over budget.

The UK Border Agency Immigration Case Work system suffered from a "loss of focus, poor governance structures and optimism bias", according to the National Audit Office. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA Wire/Press Association Images

The information and communication technology (ICT) revolution has radically changed the world we live in. Young people in particular have demonstrated an aptitude in developing, adopting and disseminating such technologies, and their leadership role in this sphere is evident throughout both the industrialized and developing world. In fact, it is common practice for adults to learn ICT skills from youth.

Orange Telecom now offers free access to wikipedia for mobile data users in 20 countries. It's not perfect; users only get free access to the mobile version of the site which lacks the functionality required to contribute, howevera vast archive of human knowledge is now significantly more accessible to tens of millions of people. Excellent news indeed!

Government’s involvement is primarily of: -The Ministry of ICT/ National Information and Communications Authority Uganda (NITA-U) for integration and coordination of the different ICT activities in both the public and private sectors and initiation and development of ICT Policy advice and strategy. -Through the Uganda Law Reform Commission the Government sets an enabling legal framework. -The Uganda Communications Commission (now merged with the Uganda Broadcasting Council) and Uganda…

It has been established that information is a key factor for any development process. In light of the catalytic role that information plays in national development, government has set up a policy framework to ensure optimum utilization of this resource towards socio-economic development. For government to implement the long term national development programmes like the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP), the Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA), and others,…

This may sound funny but its not! Africa needs more geeks. Technology makes this world go round and Africa should start playing a part in pushing the earth to rotate on its axis.

We need a culture of research right from primary schools. Most of our curricula are ridiculously outdated. When I was doing my computer science degree, our syllabus was like 15 years old. This does not auger well for our development.…

I have noted with disdain the manner at which most knowledgeable youths are not willing to share their knowledge for development purposes. Rather, they are caught in the capitalist way of perpetual pursuit of profit. Let me begin by asking all youths, â€œIf knowledge is the key, how many doors have you unlocked? Of all those unlocked doors, how many have used those doors with you?â€ The point I am making is that, let us not be selfish with knowledge. Let it be a way to development in…

With the rapid expansion of mobile usage in the world, the future of computing entirely rests on mobile devices. It therefore, makes a lot of sense for youth in business to start focusing on solutions that enable Enterprise Mobility.

Despite what seems to be the ICT industry’s own negative, albeit relatively minimal environmental impact and the slow process as to which major industries are implementing green ICT, there are still areas where ICT itself can still be a key tool in ensuring a sustainable green economy.

The European Commission identified several key roles where ICT can be used to achieve these goals.

Wahome was the name of the shop keeper in my neighborhood. Anything that was not bought in a supermarket was bought from Wahome's shop. He supplied our household and our neighbour's households with milk, matches, sugar and other sundries that ran out before the next trip to the supermarket.…

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The full text of the book An Introduction to Internet Governance (6th edition) is available here. The translated versions in Serbian/BCS, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, and Portuguese are also available for download.